subject: Winter Car Servicing [print this page] Winter car servicing may be very different from a summer service. In the UK, weather extremes are often experienced during winter and so you should prepare your car for this. For example, in 1982 in Shropshire, England, there was a low of -26C.
Cold temperatures can be the main cause of strain on your car's mechanics. Your car battery should be checked before winter sets in as it will come under additional load because of the greater drain on its power due to darker mornings and evenings. A set of jump leads kept in the car can be a good idea as your battery can go at any time. The larger amount of moisture in winter, combined with low temperatures may lead to a small amount of continuous current leak from batteries, and it is worth greasing the terminals and keeping them clean to prevent corrosion. A good service will also check the strength of a battery which needs to be in top condition. A modern calcium silver battery will provide far better cold starting performance than the old lead acid batteries.
Anti-freeze is one of the most important elements of preparing a car for winter. The water in an engine's coolant system can freeze in very low temperatures and crack the engine block. Anti-freeze will prevent this from happening and is usually mixed in a proportion of 50/50 with de-ionised water, this concentration will protect the engine down to -34C which should be adequate for a British winter. Anti-freeze also prevents engine corrosion and offers water pump lubrication, although this effect lessens over time which means that standard green anti-freeze should be change once every two years. A newer type of anti-freeze is an orange or red liquid that contains organic acids and should never be mixed with its green counterpart. This sort of anti-freeze will last for a period of up to 5 years.
Tyres are another important aspect to look out for, as wet conditions require greater depth of tread for optimum braking. The minimum legal limit for tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm in the middle three quarters of the tire. Correct tyre pressure is another factor that greatly affects tyre performance and should be checked every couple of weeks. One other thing to remember is to check your spare tyre as this can often be overlooked.
And lastly a good winter service won't overlook your wipers, washers and lights all crucial for your safety in inclement weather and also your MOT.
So whether you have an Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, truck, van or even an HGV make sure your vehicle is prepared for the winter with proper car servicing.
